Who will you be buying chocolates for this Valentine’s Day? Your office crush or your one true soulmate?

The idea of finding ‘The One’ has been around since the ancient Greeks. We’re all obsessed with finding that special person who shares your passion for cat videos and makes you feel complete.

If you haven’t found your soulmate yet we can’t promise that our chocolate will help you find them. But whether you’re a hardcore romatic or you’re looking for the ultimate Palentine, read on to find out why the idea of a soulmate still resonates.

Where does the concept of a soulmate come from?

According to the ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes, we were once a strange breed of asexual beings with two faces, four arms and legs and two sets of sexual organs. But when Zeus became threatened by these powerful beings he chopped them in two, creating a miserable race of severed beings “always seeking the half that matches him.”

Or as American author Richard Bach said “A soulmate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks.”

What is a soulmate?

But what does ‘soulmate’ mean in our fast paced 21st century lives? For most of us a soulmate

is that special someone we just click with. Who we could spend a lifetime searching for or discover in a flash or lightning. The one who makes you say “You complete me” and they reply you had them at hello.

But then there’s the anxiety. The negative feelings that make us wonder have we already swiped left on the One? Or are we in a relationship with a partner that we love but who just doesn’t inspire that truly, madly, deeply level of connection?

The idea of a soulmate implies that there’s at least one special someone out there for everyone. That person who’s willing to accept you for all your flaws and love you unconditionally despite all your emotional baggage. Whatever ‘soulmate’ means to you will determine whether you’ve found the One – from that first rush of chemistry to a lifelong shared love of chocolate.

Signs you’ve met ‘The One’

So what are the signs he’s your soulmate? Or that she’s the One? You might have your checklist but relationship experts agree – it’s knowing that you just get each other that delivers that true soulmate connection.

Your paths may have crossed before – it’s not unusual for soulmates to have worked or lived in the same neighbourhood without meeting until the time is right. You know what each other is thinking without speaking, you share each other’s emotions and make each other feel secure and protected against the world.

One feature of soulmate relationships is that you don’t go looking for them. In fact you’re most likely to find your soulmate when you’re in a strong and confident place and not looking for a partner to fix your problems. A true soulmate arrives at the perfect time because you’re ready to accept that relationship.

If you can’t imagine life without them and you’re prepared to ditch your perfect partner checklist without a second glance then the chances are you’ve found your soulmate.

What is true love? Have I found it?

Of course, not every soulmate is a romantic connection. Your soulmate could be your best friend or someone you share an intense connection with but only see once or twice a year.

But if the connection runs deeper than friendship, what really happens when you meet your soulmate?

Relationships can be a tricky business but experts agree: when you find true love everything flows. You can’t stop looking at them or thinking about them. In fact you just can’t get enough of them, almost as if you’re completely addicted.

In fact that’s not too far from the truth, as falling in love activates the same chemical changes in your brain as eating good chocolate. That’s because your favourite bar is packed with feel-good chemicals including anandamide which induces feelings of bliss and phenethylamine (PEA) or the ‘love drug’ that produces all those delicious ‘butterflies in the stomach’ feelings we get when we fall in love.

In addition, when you think about the One, you get a rush of dopamine which boosts your sensation of happiness and lights up the reward receptors in your brain. So what we think of as the first stages of true love could just be a rush of euphoria-inducing chemicals. In which case, you could just stick to our High Cocoa Selectors Collection instead.

The soulmate connection

We tend to think of the soulmate relationship as transcending all others. However, there may be many different types of relationships, both romantic and non-romantic, that connect you to a variety of soulmates.

So what is a soulmate connection exactly? Let’s take a look at the different types of soul mate relationships there are out there.

Soul partners are those who help us to accomplish our goals and support us emotionally and professionally. They could be a much-lovedoved sibling or a work mentor. Then there are your soulmate friends and even family – the people we gather around us along life’s journey.

They’re the people whose hugs work like magic, who take you to your happy place whenever you see them and who you can share anything and everything with, in good times and bad. The kind of friends who buy you your favourite Everything Sleekster box because they just have an intuition you need it.

The difference between a twinflame and soulmate

Whether they’re friends, relatives or lovers our soulmates come into our lives because it’s meant to be. But what if there was an even more intense connection – not just to the One but the uber One?

A twin flame is like a soulmate on steroids. They arrive in your life to help you heal, learn and grow, delivering the same feeling of completeness that you get with a soulmate. You’ll also experience that sensation that your twinflame totally gets you.

It’s a next-level connection and your twin flame may feel familiar in a way you just can’t explain. As you get to know each other you may reveal similar experiences and backgrounds, as if you act as a mirror for each other and push each other to grow in a way your soulmate never could. 

Think of it like this: the soulmate relationship is The Everything Collection, while your twin flame is the total works, the complete Signature Cabinet.

If the twin flame relationship is a romantic one, watch out – these romances have the power and intensity to become the kind of once in a lifetime liaisons we all dream of. 

How to find your soulmate

If you’re still wondering ‘when will I meet my soulmate?’ then you need to get proactive. In the 21st century, you no longer need to leave it to fate. In fact, you can tip the odds in your favour with just a few simple tweaks.

First, stop worrying about being single and embrace it. Your soulmate has more chance of appearing when you’re happy and confident. Then you can trust your intuition and start making the connection.

It’s entirely possible you could find your soulmate anywhere from your local climbing wall to your nearest branch of Hotel Chocolat. Both are places where you’re likely to find your heart pounding either through physical exercise or the promise of high-quality chocolate (remember those good cocoa chemicals). 

The key to finding your soulmate is to keep your eyes and your mind open and remember that there could be more than one person out there who is the right One for you.

Signs your soulmate is thinking of you

When you’ve made the soulmate connection there’s nothing like it. And believe it or not, you may also start getting some strong physical sensations when your soulmate is thinking of you.

Here are some of the telltale signs:

You start to think about them during the day for no reason, or you dream about them at night – a sure sign that your energies are connecting.

While sneezing and hiccups seem like pretty random signs, especially if you suffer with allergies, an involuntary smile is a real physical manifestation of the signals your brain is receiving that say your soulmate is thinking about you.

You feel a sudden change of mood or emotional energy. That’s a sign that your soulmate’s energy field has touched yours.

Other signs might be the feeling that they’re thinking of you or you suddenly have a strong desire to be close to them. You might even feel an actual physical sensation of touch when your partner is thinking about you.

And if that gives you goosebumps it’s a definite sign that you and your soulmate are fully connected.

Gifts for your soulmate

So what’s the best way to show your soulmate how much you adore them? We have plenty of ideas for the perfect stay-in Valentine’s Day with gifts they’ll love, from a home spa experience to a romantic cocktail or two.

The best gift you can give your soulmate is something they truly crave. It doesn’t have to be a material object. Something as simple as taking time to be with them can make their eyes sparkle. Or invest time in crafting a homemade gift – a jar of love notes or a personal album will remind them why you’re meant to be together.

If you need more inspiration, take a look at our irresistible range of romantic chocolate gifts designed to sweep them off their feet. After all, what could be better than another cocoa hit to recapture that feeling when you first found the One?